Process of making material for explosives.



GILBERT E. BAILEY, OF LOS ANG-ELES, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF MAKING MATERIAL FOR EXPLOSIYES.

No Drawing.

'the amount of nitric acid usedand not to' exceed the necessary quantityto properly create the required action and produce a composition inwhich there remains no free nitric acid.

The object of my invention. is to .provide a process whereby rosin andstarchy materials, such as ground wheat, may be perfectly nitrated andoxidized by the use of nitric acid without the liability of any freenitric acid remaining in the nitrated material.

Another object of my invention is to proride a process whereby rosin anda starchy material may be thoroughly mixed, nitrated and oxidized by theuse of nitric acid; and

cleared of all free nitric acid which may be.

present after the nitration and oxidation of the mass.

My process consists in mixing rosin and a starchy material, such forinstance as finely ground or pulverized wheat, together with boilingwater, adding thereto, after such mixing, strong nitric acid, thoroughlystirring the acid into the mixed rosin and starchy material until itceases to give off fumes of nitrous oxid, then immediately washing outthe free nitric acid from the nitrated and oxidized mass with hot waterat or about 212 F.

In carrying out my process I take the required amount of a resinousmaterial and a starchy material, such as finely ground;

wheat, and mix them together by stirring, then adding boiling hot wateruntil they have formed themselves into a pasty mass, meanwhilesubjecting the mass to a heat suflicicnt, combined with the heat of thehot water added during the mixing, to partially cook the starch, sayfrom 180 to 212" F. I then take strong nitric acid and pour the same ovr the hot mass in a sutlicient quantity to cover it, the quantity ofnitric acid used not exceeding the amount which would Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed July 13, 1909. Serial No. 507,444.

in conjunction with the water in the mass form a solution of twenty percent. of acld,

, meanwhile keeping the mass and acid from becoming cold. Themass andacid is then stirred or worked so as to thoroughly expose all parts ofthe 'mass to the action of the acid, such stirring or working beingcontinued until fumes of nitrous oxid are no longer evolved therefrom.The then nitrated and oxidized mass is kneaded and washed in hot waterwhereby the free nitric acid is washed out of the mass; and afterwardthe mass is allowed to cool and dry producing a brittle crystallinematerial easily crushed. for use in an explosive mixture.

By reason of the large proportion of water-in the mass and theconsequent dilution of the nitric acid, a considerable portion of, therosin (colophony) is converted into isophthalic acid, (see Waits Dirt.(A-emu edition 1907, Vol. IV, 'I'sophthalic Acid page 165, No. 9, underFormation of Isophthalic Acid also under Abietic Acid, Vol. I, page 1,No. 6, under Reactions), which contains no nitrogen; but is practicallyoxidized rosin. Rosin so treated is more combustible and. better adaptedfor use in explosives, asstated. The free or excess nitric acid beingthen washed out with boiling water, the resulting product is left compleely clear of free nitric acid and is not liable to deterioration and canbe stored and transported without danger.

I have discovered that a resinous material and a starchy material canbemixed or incorporated into a pasty mass by the addition of hot water,'and that such pasty mass will retain its pasty-like nature when treatedwith nitric acid to nitrate and oxidize the mass provided, however, thatsuch mass is kept at-a suitable temperature and not allowed to cool, sayfrom 180" to 212 F. If the mass is allowed to cool during the process itwill set and become hard.

After the nitric acid has acted upon the, partially cooked mass thenitrated and oxidized starches and rosins are insoluble in water and bywashing the same in hot water the mass is kept heated and retains aplastic condition which enables me to knead or work the same to wash thefree nitric acid from the mass the same as butter milk is washed frombutter in the ordinary dairying process.

The plastic mass is subjected to the kneadk-nAw plosive' ingredients toform an explosive Water to the same to form a paste-like mass,

ing or Washing in hot water, the water being changed. as oiten asnecessary, until',,al1,-.of the free nitric acid is Washed out, afterwhich the mass is placed in the sun to dry. I hen the mass has cooledand become dry 1 it is of a hard and crystallinenature and is easilycrushed into fine particles ready for l incorporation or admixture withother excompound. The pulverized nitrated ma terial is then used bymixing the same with a suitable chlorate in the manufacture ofexplosives by adding a suitable solvent to the ,1 nitrated and oxidize lmay be applied as a coating to the chlorate grains. The nitrated andoxidized mixture being insoluble in Water is especiallyadaptable for usein making a Water and moisture proof explosive compound.

It is necessary to maintain the temperature of the mixture at a pointnear that of boiling Water during the mixing ofthe nitric acid therewithand the Washing of the nitrated and oxidized material with the Water toremove the free acid for the reason that if the mass becomes chilledafter the acid treatment it will become hard and brittle, but itthetemperature is kept at or near the point indicated the mass will remainin aplastic condition suitable for kneading or wogking to Wash or pressout the free nitric ac1 WVhat I claim is:

1. The process of producing an oxidized and nitrated material for use inexplosives, consisting in mixing rosin and a starch-containing materialtogether, adding boiling adding nitric acid to the paste and mixingcompound, such as -Wood alcohol which dissolves it so that it seams tialoxidation of the rosin and'nitration of the starch-containing materialand then washing the mass, in hot water until the same is free fromnitric acid.

2. The process of producing an oxidized and nitrated material for use inexplosives,

consisting in mixing rosin and a starch-conj taining material together,stirring the same, 5 adding boiling Water thereto to form a pasty mass,adding nitric acid thereto, forming with the Water in the mass a dilutenitric in, adding nitric acid to the mixture, such 7 acid formingtogether with the Water in the mixture a dilute solution of nitric acid,mix- .ing the same until the fumes of nitrous oxid are no longerevolved, then Washing the partially oxidized and nitrated mass in hotWater to clear it from free nitric acid, drying the product, andp'ulveri'zing the same. v I i, In testimony whereof, I have hereuntosetmy hand at'Lo's Angeles, California, this 8th day of July, 1909. 1

GILBERT BAILEY.

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